Prague has found a temporary use for the Old Town Market Hall, which has been empty for five years. City councillors approved its lease to the organisers of the Signal Festival for three and a half years. They will create a pop-up gallery and a cultural centre focused on digital art in the historic building.

"The temporary establishment of the gallery will breathe life into this important but unused building in the centre of Prague. At the same time, preparations will continue for the launch of a competitive dialogue aimed at finding a strong partner who will participate in the reconstruction and long-term operation of the Old Town Market Hall," says Adam Zábranský, councillor for property, transparency and legislation.

The project envisages an area of 3,000 m² where art events, workshops, lectures and art therapy sessions will take place. It will also include a café and a souvenir shop. The operator will invest CZK 30 million in the refurbishment of the space without compensation from the city and will pay a monthly rent of CZK 100,000.
The Old Town Market Hall, built in 1894, was vacated in 2019 due to a planned renovation that did not take place. The city is now preparing a competitive dialogue to find a partner to participate in its total reconstruction and long-term operation.

"I don't consider the route Prague tried in the past, that of doing the reconstruction and then looking for an operator, to be the most appropriate. I think it is quite risky to anticipate the needs of the market. We are not starting from scratch, we are building on a previously approved reconstruction project. The costs will be in the higher hundreds of millions of crowns, but it will depend on the competitive dialogue what the participants will be able to offer. We will look for the most viable model for the city," adds Prague Councillor Zábranský.